


𝔥𝔦𝔡𝔡𝔢𝔫 𝔱𝔞𝔩𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔰

by mac__ren



Category: Marriage Story (2019)
Genre: Age Difference, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Brooklyn, Daddy Issues, Daddy Kink, Dating, Drug Use, F/M, Family Issues, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, New York City, Post-Divorce, Praise Kink, Protectiveness, Starvation, Theatre
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:53:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29973510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mac__ren/pseuds/mac__ren
Summary: (Charlie Barber x Female OC)Charlie was invited to a concert with his coworkers. Desperate for a fun time, he goes. But everything changes when the drummer catches his eye.
Relationships: Charlie Barber/Reader
Kudos: 1





	1. 𝕺𝖓𝖊

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a Charlie Barber AU  
> Details about the reader are left vague for your imagination

[Link to album mentioned in this story.](https://open.spotify.com/album/7eed9MBclFPjjjvotfR2e9?si=NGFoD7CPRlaS3SGd5CXm4Q)

  
WARNINGS: AGE GAP

Please know that I have zero knowledge of playing the drum. I'm really just winging it.

-CHARLIE'S POV-

Packing up your stuff was your favorite part of your day. You truly got to see how much progress you made during that day. You had a pretty thin stack of papers that needed to be filled out by Monday, but that would be no problem for you considering Henry was with his mom this weekend.

The low light of the theatre made your surroundings dark, but not dark enough to see the little heart on the corner of the maintenance page. You looked to the title of the page and recognized that Mary Ann gave this to you earlier today. You pinched the bridge of your nose, God how you wished this woman would leave you alone.

As you disregard that annoying ass little heart and start stacking your papers so you can easily slip them into your briefcase. Your employees were slowly funneling out of the theatre and you didn't blame them. This week was a slow one, as you were currently casting actors for your new play. It wasn't an easy process, but you didn't exactly enjoy sitting all day while watching people embarrass the hell out of themselves.

Just as you finished packing your papers and went to grab for your jacket, it is yanked out of your reach. You furrow your brow to see Zack, an intern with dirty blonde hair that reaches his chin and round glasses with thin frames. You lift your eyebrow at him as he smiles at you.

"Hey man, so I have a question for you," Zack's voice a little shaky.

"Okay, what is it?" you asked the much shorter man next to you.

"So I and a few of our coworkers bought tickets to this concert, and we noticed that you haven't exactly been having the time of your life lately, you know with the whole... divorce thing." His tone grew quieter as we made eye contact. "We were wondering if you would want to come with, just get your mind off of things for a little bit."

You weren't sure you wanted to, but a distraction did sound nice. Your divorce was final five months ago and all you could think about was how you were going to support Henry from across the country. New York was your home and the place where theatre company resided. You couldn't just uproot your entire company and move it across the country.

You thought about it for a bit longer, and seeing as you didn't have anything major to do the next day, you agreed. Zack smiled, handing your coat back, and told you where to meet up with him and his friends and what time to be there.

Of course, you were earlier than the rest of the group. It was just a force of habit when it came to having a child.

You stood there on the warm corner of the street for about fifteen minutes before Zack and a few other familiar faces appeared from around the corner. The soft hum of cars driving by and the occasional honk. The sun was setting but night hadn't quite fallen. The lights of the tall surrounding buildings seem to gleam and bounce off of one another.

"Hey, Charlie!"

"Hi, Zack. Nicky, Jaden." You greeted them with a smile.

You all stood in line conversing about the band and how they were small, but growing while you wait to get in.

When you walked into the small venue, a huge banner was placed upstage, behind a clear drum set that read Wallows in sloppy, yet neat handwriting.

You stood around for the next hour on a small balcony to the right of the stage that held about seven other people. You tried drowning out the sound of the yelling of people and the opening act. Penelope Isle. They were okay, and any other time you would be enjoying their music, but this wasn't your scene.

Just as you were about to announce to Zack that you were going to leave, the lights turn low and you heard the crowd scream and cheer as you saw the faint shadows of people walking on stage. You decided to see the actual band, even though you had never heard their stuff. You heard faint laughter and the ringing of microphones as the lights slowly beamed brighter.

A spotlight hit the main man as he waved to the crowd, and they cheered louder than they had before. The lights change colors and backlight the entire stage.

"Hi, my name is Dylan. Over here we have Braeden, on bass we have Cole, the piano is Danny, and last but certainly not least, our beloved drummer, Y/N!" He said as the lights came on one by one as he introduced the band.

Your body went completely still when you saw her sitting behind a set of drums. Her hair was flowing and shiny as the majority of it was pulled out of her face. Her eyes contrasted against her makeup and you couldn't seem to pry your eyes away from the jewel that sat in front of you. Her outfit seemed like it was made just for her like she was the only person in the world who could pull it off.

You leaned over on the railing of the small space to get a better look at the beauty herself. Her smile was vibrant as she gives the crowd a little wave of her fingers as they cheer. She twirls the drumsticks in between her digits as she takes a few deep breaths.

"And we are Wallows!"

As soon as the man with short hair and funky outfit announced the name of the band, music filled the space, which buzzed you further into bliss as your eyes stayed trained on the drummer. 

Your body hummed with pleasure, but you seemed to go into overdrive when your eyes made contact with the sparkling pair down below.

-YOUR POV-

You had done this for what felt like a thousand times. You were used to playing, but the nerves of playing in front of a full crowd never eased.

Walking out to your beloved clear drum set, you made sure not to trip over any of the laying wires as you had done that earlier during rehearsals. You pumped yourself up when you heard your older brother, Dylan, begin speaking into the mic. He went through and announced everyone's name until he reached yours.

The spotlight burned your eyes for a split second before you adjusted.

"...Wallows!"

That was your cue. You started pumping your arms up and down to the beat of the song, which you were in control of. Your body rattling inside of and out from the bass, your drum set reflecting the colored lights all around you. Your muscle memory eventually took over and you felt your body naturally react to the music that blared through your earpiece.

Your half way through the first song and that is when your brain froze for half a second. That's when you saw him. His shoulder-length black hair brushed his shoulders as he stared at you. His broad shoulders intimidated you, but you were brought back down to your set when you almost messed the beat up.

Dylan looked back at you in doubt as Braeden sang the lyrics to Sidelines. You gave him a nod and a wink, which was on stage code for 'ready'. He nodded his head to the beat that you continued to provide and turned back around to the mic. You looked back up to the man when you saw a confused look cross his handsome, structured face.

You decided to focus on the concert for the next two hours instead of the brooding man on the balcony. You could still feel his eyes searing into the side of your head, but you ignored it as you quickly prepared yourself for the most difficult part of the song, Treacherous Doctor. The strobe lights pulsed and changed colors as your drum solo was quickly approaching.

You found your breathing balance as began to hype yourself up. Your cue came and you just went for it. You banged the correct drums, and sometimes the wrong ones, but it only added spice.

The song began to close, and so did the set. Your arms were in agony but you just kept going. You looked up to meet the intimidating eyes yet once again, just before the lights cut off.

That was probably the last time you would ever get to look in those eyes.

An hour after the show, and everything is already packed up and ready to go to the next location, thanks to the help of your bandmates and team. The venue was deathly quiet as you said farewell to everyone and your bandmates. You decided to take a walk around the city, considering it would be your last night there. You couldn't wait to return to your apartment and your bed, but you had to finish the tour.

You exited the back door and began walking down the warm streets of New York City. You take in all your surroundings and breathe a deep breath of the summer air. You deeply missed your nightly walk, even if it was unsafe.

You kept walking, crossing the somewhat empty streets of downtown Brooklyn. You kept walking until you saw the Brooklyn Bridge Park and you decided to sit down for a little, considering the venue was Roulette Intermedium, which was about a thirty-minute walk.

You approached a park bench and sat down, admiring the view of the city at night. God, how you loved it here. You would've gone to your apartment for the night, but you were too tired and you missed the city too much to go and sit in your shitty apartment.

The buildings from Manhatten never seemed to sleep, just like the people. The light pollution was bright, bouncing off the water and into your eyes. The moon hung low in the sky, lining up perfectly in between buildings. The cool concrete jungle buzzing with energy, even at such a late hour on a Friday night.

The small bench that you had settled on was making your loose feeling in your ass. You checked your phone for the time. 3:14 AM.

Just as you were about to get up and walk back to the music venue, you saw a familiar shape enter your view down the sidewalk. It was slowly coming closer to you, but you decided to ignore it, pointing out that a lot of guys had the same build as him and it's New York fucking City, so what would the chances be? Low. Extremely low.

You stood up and walked towards the railing of the sidewalk, deciding to focus all of your energy on the twinkling lights ahead of you, and not the somewhat familiar brooding man that still had yet to notice you.

You just focused all your energy on the city and you took a deep breath. The anticipation was killing you. How could you let the man just walk by you without you properly introducing yourself?

You heard the beat of shoes hitting the sidewalk, growing louder until they abruptly stop. You crinkled your eyebrows and looked to your left. His sharp nose and freckles seemed to fucking glisten under low light. You made eye contact with his brown eyes and you absentmindedly gripped the railing harder.

He gave you a breathless chuckle before muttering, "Holy fucking shit." under his breath.

You just chuckled and shook your head, moving your eyes to look at the low-lit concrete.

He cleared his throat and muttered, "Sorry," as he offered his hand out to you. You look at its size before flicking your gaze back to the handsome stranger. "I'm Charlie." He smiled that cute, crooked smile.

You slide your tiny hand into his large one, and you squeeze while you shake it, spotting the familiar W mark on his hand from your show. "Well, you already know but I'm Y/N." You gesture to the mark on his hand. He just shakes his head yes.

You both stay still for a moment, hands continuously shaking. You chuckle and look down at your intertwined hands. You gently pull your hand out of his hand and rock on your heels awkwardly.

"Great show. You were fanatasic, especially on that last song." He says, silently imitating playing a drum.

You chuckled again. What the fuck else were you supposed to do when you were internally screaming at his beauty. "Thanks, I have had a lot of practice when it comes to using my hands."

His eyebrows shot up at that and you realized what you had just said. "Oh, no no not like that, I just meant I have been playing for a little while." You say with a panicked tone.

He just laughs again and shakes his head in understanding. "How long?"

"About 17 years."

His eyes widened slightly. "I don't mean to be rude, but do you mind if I ask how old you are?"

"Oh, I am 23."

"Really?" His tone was shocked.

"Yep. Young and restless."

He shakes his head and looks out at Manhatten. "Do you want to take a walk with me?"

"As long as you promise you won't kill me."

He gives you a breathy laugh and sticks his hand out, his pinky. "Only if you promise not to tell."

You shake your head and smile, thinking your options over. You knew he wasn't going to hurt you, you could just tell that he wasn't the type. He looked young, but his clothing said otherwise. He dressed like a grandpa, but you were oddly turned on by it. Your daddy issues seemed to be screaming at you, but you decided to take the chance.

"Deal." You said to him as you crossed your tiny pinky with his gigantic one.

When you noticed the size difference, you kinda lost your breath. You shook yourself out of your trance with his fucking pinky and hope he didn't notice your rigid body. When you looked up to meet his eyes, still holding onto his pinky, you saw something you didn't expect to see. A type of lust laid behind his brown orbs and my god, what you would kill to know what he was thinking.

He was the first one to break away from the second handshake of the night and gestured for you to walk forward. "After you."

You turned around and walked forward when you swore you felt his eyes scan you up down from behind. You looked back at him as you waited for him to catch up to your pace.

The gentle sounds of waves crashing against the shore were enough to calm you down, along with the low buzz of shops neon signs around you.

"So, Charlie, you know what I do. What about you?"

"I own a theatre company here in Brooklyn."

"Impressive. What's the name?"

"Exit Ghost."

You stopped and he turned around looking at you confused.

"Your Charlie Barber. That Barber. That's you?"

"Ummm, yes?" He looks around nervously.

"Holy shit, I loved your production of Electra. It's one of my favorites."

He dropped his confused expression, a sparkly smile replacing the grimace. "You saw Electra?"

"Oh, yea. Well, I actually saw it three times. I loved it."

His eyebrows shot up again as you continue your walk down the sidewalk. You can feel his gaze burning into the side of your head, similar to the feeling of him watching you at the show. You can't help but blush at the attention he was giving you.

"Well, thank you. What a small world." He said looking down at you.

"A small world indeed."

You continued your conversation for about fifteen more minutes while he leads you to a diner. You discovered that he had never heard of your band or your music, but he enjoyed your show. His compliments seemed to send a warm sensation down your belly and into your abdomen.

You also learned that he was 33. This man that was standing next to you, that seemed so young, so full of life, was 33. Ten years older than you, but that only drove your attraction to him.

You both finally settled into a cold booth in an empty diner. You were tired sure, but sleep would have to wait for a man like Charlie. He had your undivided attention and you couldn't think of a better someone to occupy his mind.  
"So, are you single?"

He laughs that cute, throaty laugh. "Very single."

"Well, how has a man like yourself managed to stay single?" you asked.

He looked up at you and gave you a small, sad smile. "Well, that's a great question." He looked around and resetting his arms before looking back at you. "I was married, and I have a kid...I hope that doesn't drive you away."

Little did he know that it practically drove you insane to know that he was an actual daddy. Your daddy issues were screaming at you to get up and run in a different direction but you didn't budge. Your brain might be screaming no, but boy was your body saying yes.

"Oh..." You managed to say.

"As a matter of fact, my dating life has been extremely dry recently because of that." He says looking down.

"How old is your kid?"

"He is almost 9." He spoke, you could see his eyes light up just talking about his son. It was precious.

"He?"

"Henry is his name. "

"Wow. Congrats, I'm sure with a father like you he is wonderful." You send him a small smile.

He chuckled. "So it seriously doesn't bother you?"

You tap your chin and smile at him, "No, Charlie Barber, it doesn't bother me one bit."

"Are you single?" He asks.

You just nod your head 'yes' at him.

He smiles back at you. "Well, that is an excellent thing because I was wondering if I would ever be able to see you again."

You look out of the window, trying to hide your grin from him. "Eager?"

"Yes." His eyes went dark and everything around you seemed to fall away. He was just looking at you, practically undressing you with his orbs and you shifted. The hem of your jeans seemed to hit your warm core at just the right angle and you shuddered.

He looked you up and down, noticing your small movement. He slowly raised one eyebrow at you, but the moment was broken by the overly joyful waitress.

"Good morning, what can I start you off with?" Her high-pitched voice catching you off guard.

"Water." You both said simultaneously.

"I'll be right back with that."

Everything was silent once again, and the air almost felt hot. He cleared his throat and looked out to the street to see nobody walking.

"Well, how has a pretty girl like yourself managed to stay single for so long?"

You giggled at his question and you felt hotness seep into your cheeks as you tried to suppress your smile. "My job, actually. It's more demanding than people think, especially with the tour and all."

"How long will you be on tour?"

"I have two more shows before I get to go back to my shitty apartment."

"Oh, you live in New York?"

"I'm a Brookly baby. You? "

"Brooklyn Heights."

You nod your head as you continue to look over the menu. "So your rich?"

Before he could answer the waitress returned with your waters. You nodded to her when she asked if you needed more time.

"Not necessarily." He said to you.

You shake your head as your eyes land on the meal you want. French fucking toast.

You set your menu down and looked up at him expectantly. He was still searching the menu, trying to conclude what he wanted to eat. You took this time to study his face under the bright lights of the diner.

Half of his face was dark, being lit by the red and orange tones seeping through the window into the booth. His eyebrows protruded out, but not too much. His nose was big, but someone seemed to work well with the rest of his face. His plush lips were puckered but in a cute, innocent way as he focused on the menu. His face was littered with freckles and marks but they were beautiful. He was fucking gorgeous.

You were snapped out of your trance when the waitress approached you two again. You told here what you wanted and he also placed his order.

You passed your menus back to the waitress and you rested your elbows on the table as all his attention back to you.

"I just have to ask, are you sure you don't have a boyfriend or anything?"

You crinkle your eyebrows at him and shake your head. "No, what makes you think that?"

"Well, at the concert, you winked at the singer."

"Who? Dylan? Oh, god no, he is my brother."

"Oh." He said, smiling.

A few beats of silence pass before you look down at your hands. They were still vibrating from the intense beating of them at the show. They were shaky, but also red. The drumsticks were not easy on your hands, especially since you tend to lose control when playing.

"You okay?"

You quickly shake your head, "Yea, my hands just hurt from tonight." You show him your red, shaky hands.

"Huh. I didn't think that drumsticks could hurt your hands."

"Well, they don't hurt per se but I tend to hit my drums really hard when my adrenaline is pumping, and it can leave me with shaky and irritated hands. It's just a by-product of my anger issues, that's all."

Just as you finished your sentence, your phone began to ring. Dino appeared on the screen along with a goofy picture of Dylan.

"Speaking of the devil, I'm gonna go outside to take this."

He nods his head and follows your body all the way out the door.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Hey, um... where are you?"

"Okay, so don't freak out but I kinda met someone. He was at the show and we fucking ran into each other at the pier and he offered to take me to dinner but he is really hot and I cannot pass this opportunity up."

"Hey, hey, calm down. It's okay, we're not mad at you we were just making sure you weren't dead or anything."

"Well that's nice," you muttered.

"You'll be back before we leave, right?"

"Of course-" You were cut off by a scream on Dylan's end.

"Hey Rambo, so you're on a date?"

"Yes, Braedan I am on a date, well I actually don't know but I have to go soon."

"Okay, well just remember to use protection!"

"Jesus, please just give the phone back to Dyl." You say, chuckling.

"Bye, Rambo!"

"Bye boomer!"

"Talk to you later," Dylan said into the phone.

"Okay, love you."

"Love you too!"

With that, you headed back inside to see a plate full of french toast sitting in front of you.

"Dear God, this looks great." His deep laugh was something that you would never get used to.

"Everything okay?"

"Oh, yea he was just worried."

"Understandable."

You both had finished eating, and you were stuffed but those pieces of toast were amazing.

The waitress came back to give you the receipt and you quickly grabbed it out of Charlie's reach.

"Don't you dare," He said.

"I think I'll dare, besides, it's the least I can do."

"Fine, but when we go out on a real date, I'm paying."

You froze. "So there will be a second date?"

He takes a sip of his water before smiling at you. "Do you want there to be a second date?"

"Yes."

"Then it's settled." You smile at him as you slide your card into the billfold.

When you walk out of the diner after indulging each other in more conversation, the sky was still dark, but you could see the early remnants of the sun peeking over the horizon that was accompanied by dark, fluffy clouds. . You look at your phone, 5:45.

"Well, I better get back before they leave me."

"I'll walk with you."

You smile sweetly up at him as you begin to walk in the direction of your venue.

As you walked you could hear the faint yet familiar sound of cars honking and bike bells. It was the sounds of the city, and while it would normally piss a lot of people off, it oddly brought you comfort. You try to focus on the burning neon signs and the pattering of your shoes against the sidewalk, but his gaze was magnetic. His brooding frame hovered over you but you were persistent in keeping your gaze off of him.

You didn't need a relationship, not now, but something was drawing you to him. You couldn't help but adore the man who walked next to you. Sure he was married and had a kid, but as long it didn't bother him, it didn't bother you either.

A rumble of thunder could be heard above you and you both stopped to look up. You were still a solid twenty minutes away from the venue and based on the way the sky looked and sounded, you probably weren't going to make it without it downpouring.

"Welp," You say as you look over at him.

You made eye contact with him immediately and those eyes burned you. Your breathing staggered and you just stayed there in the moment. You felt the warmth radiating off of him as his hand cupped the small of your back. He was inching closer to your face but you didn't object. His breath fanned across your forehead and you lean into him. Just as your lips were going to touch, rain began to filter out from the sky.

You both recoiled and he grabbed a hold of your hand, directing you to the nearest owning.

You stood close to each other, giggling at your luck. You looked around, eyes squinting, trying to see how far the rain stretched when your face was grabbed and your lips smashed onto his. They were oh so soft and plush and he tasted faintly of mint.

After a few minutes of kissing, he pulled away and leaned his head against yours.

"Sorry, you just looked so pretty." His hands still cupping your face, providing you with a deep warmth.

"Don't apologize. If you wouldn't have done it, I would've." You chuckled.

You shivered at the sudden gust of wind that blew past you. His hands went to your arms, rubbing to warm you up. When that didn't work, he pulled away from you and shrugged off his wet cardigan. He wrung it out as best as he could before handing it out to you.

"It might still be wet, but it might help."

You took it gingerly from his hand and pulled it around your much smaller torso. You thought that being around him was intoxicating, but you had no idea what wearing his clothes would do to you. You could still smell him on it, a faint scent of mint and lavender. He smelled more feminine than you thought, but it was still a manly smell.

"Thank you, but now your gonna be all wet..." You trailed off as you gestures to his wet dress shirt that was already sticking to his tank top he had on underneath. You took a moment to look at the expansion of his chest and truly how massive he was. It was hot.

He shrugged and ran a hand through his wet locks. That was another very attractive thing about him. His hair looked so soft and fluffy and silky that it made you jealous. You wanted to touch it, run your hands through it, and now was your chance as a small lock fell out and jostled around his forehead.

You extended your hand out, grabbing the hair and threading it back through the rest of his locks. His hands latched onto the small of your back. He gives you a small smile when you have to rise onto the balls of your boots to reach the crown of his head.

You stayed there in each other's arms until the rain let up. It didn't stop but instead reduced to a drizzle. You looked back down at your phone, 6:05.

"Shit! I'm so sorry, but I have to go. The bus leaves in fifteen and we are about twenty minutes away." You looked up at him with wide eyes as you tuck your phone back into your pocket.

"Well come on," He grabs your hand and begins to run in the direction of the venue.

You laugh as you try to keep up with him, but your legs were too short.

"Wait, wait, I can't keep up with you!"

He just looks back at you before grabbing your thighs and hoisting you onto his back. Your phone began buzzing in your back pocket but you ignore it, continuing your fit of giggles.

After running for about ten minutes, with you on Charlie's back, the bus finally comes into view.

"You can slow down now," You whisper in his ear.

He stops almost immediately and releases your thighs, letting you fall back onto the ground.

Ahead of you, Braedan busts out of the bus, "RAMBO, LET'S GO WE'VE GOT TO BE IN JERSEY!"

"I'M ON MY WAY, JUST CALM THE FUCK DOWN!"

"HEY IS THAT YOUR DATE? HEY MAN, I'M BRAEDEN!"

Dylan comes out of the bus and waves at you before grabbing Braeden by the ear and dragging him onto the bus.

Meanwhile, Charlie just laughs.

"Those idiots," You mutter. You go to shrug off Charlie's cardigan, but he plants a hand on your shoulder.

"Keep it."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely," he stops what he is saying to pull his phone out, opening his contacts so you can put your phone number in.

You take it from his large hand and type in your number, adding a cheesy little drum at the end of your contact name.

You hand it back to him, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. He turns his head quickly, making your lips come in contact with your lips.

"Cheater." You say, smiling back at him.

He just winks at you, the moment being ruined by the bus's horn honking. You pull away and flip the bus off, seeing Braeden leaning over the bus driver before he is tackled by Dylan.

You and Charlie laugh before you meet his eyes again.

"Don't forget to text me." You state, pointing at him.

He shakes his head, "I wouldn't dare."

You wiggle your fingers towards him before you turn on your heels and jog the rest of the distance to the bus. You pause just before you enter the bus to look back at the man. You smile to yourself before you hop on the bus.

As soon as you enter you are bombarded by questions from Dylan, Cole, and Braeden, even Danny asking an occasional one.

"EVERYBODY SHUT THE HELL UP! Look, he was at the concert and we just ran into each other at the pier and then things escalated from there. We exchanged numbers and kissed, BUT DO NOT SAY ANYTHING TO MOM!" You yell at Dylan. He just raises his hands in surrender. "Now, if you will let me get changed and get some sleep, that would be much appreciated. You start to walk as the bus starts.

Just before you shut the door to the bathroom, Cole yells at you, "Is that his sweater?!"

You just flash him a smile before entering the bathroom with a stack of dry clothes in your hand. Your phone buzzes and you pull it out, wiping water droplets off the screen. You saw it was a text message from an unknown phone number, and you knew who it was from. You unlocked your phone to look at the message.

'See you soon, Rambo'


	2. 𝕿𝖜𝖔

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoy this chapter. So much love is put into this story, and I can't wait to write more! Love you!!

  
[Wallows Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/artist/0NIPkIjTV8mB795yEIiPYL)   
  
**_ WARNINGS: AGE GAP, MENTIONS OF DADDY ISSUES, _ **

**_I once again have no clue how to play the drums so take my descriptions of playing with a grain of salt._ **   
  
  


**_-YOUR POV-_ **

The bus ride to Jersey was horrible, considering there was no interesting hot man with black hair there to entertain your ass.

The ride was only 2 hours and 23 minutes, but there you sat, four hours later and _still_ in traffic. Throughout those four hours, you really tried to entertain in any way you could. You practiced some songs on your guitar, took a nap, read a few chapters of your book, and sorted out some outfits for your upcoming shows. And while you did all of these tasks, all you could think about was your phone, checking it every few minutes. It also did not help that you didn't take his cardigan off.

Charlie hadn't texted you since you left.

_'See you soon, Rambo'_

Those words were starting to blur, the longer you stared at them.

"You know, you could just text him yourself."

Dylan was standing over your shoulder. You sunk further down in your seat as Dylan slid into the other side of the booth in your bus.

"I don't want to seem too desperate. Desperate isn't my thing Dyl, it's yours."

He laughs under his breath. "Well, it just so happens that I am willing to share with you. I mean honestly, I haven't seen you this infatuated with _anyone_ since your whole Kylo Ren stage."

You roll your eyes as you sit up straighter. "I must warn you, I'm still in that stage."

A comfortable silence lays over the conversation.

"How did you do it with Lydia?"

"Do what, exactly?"

"The whole _relationship_ thing?"

He leans in closer, propping his head upon his hand. "First off, I would suggest you be able to say 'relationship' without cringing away. It makes you seem... _inexperienced_ "

"I _am_ inexperienced, Dyl."

"Well, I know that. What's the guy like, maybe I can get into his head and I might be able to give you a suggestion."

"Okay," you lean forward, lowering your voice. "If I tell you about this guy, and I find out you told anyone I won't hesitate to end you. Understand?" He shakes his head. "Okay, well first of all he is a theatre director and he is 10 years older than me-"

"He's _33_?" His eyes got large as he harshly whispered to you from across the table.

"Yes," You hiss back, "And he has a kid. He was married and now he is divorced. What's the big deal?"

He just looked at you, dumbfounded. "What's the big deal? Y/N that is _quite_ the age gap-"

You just hold your hand up to him, stopping his sentence mid-way. "Please don't badger me on this. I wouldn't be so _involved_ in him if I didn't like him. I really do and you know how bad my daddy issues are." You state, turning your head to look out of the tinted windows as a car honks.

"I know, I know. Wait, does he know about that whole situation?"

"No, I haven't told him about it because we barely know each other. I told him the bare minimum about myself because you know how am with new people. Look, I know I have a lot of problems, but he genuinely seems like the kind of guy who won't let it mess with our relationship.

"You already in a relationship with this guy?"

"Dyl," you huff loudly, "No, I am not, we just already have a second- It's complicated. And you ask way too many questions. This conversation is over." You slid out of the booth and head towards the back of the bus to your bunk.

You climb in and close the curtain, situating yourself under your blankets. Just as you are moving your pillows, your phone dings from the table.

Needless to say, you have never moved so fast in your entire life.

You flung the blankets off of your body and practically roll out of the bunk and onto the floor. You look up to see Braeden, Cole, and Danny staring at you, trying their hardest not to break out in laughter. Dylan was standing up, your phone in his hand as he read the contact name.

"Ooh, Charlie just texted you."

You quickly stood up from the floor and moved to him to take your phone. Just before you reached him, he tossed it to Cole who sat in between Braeden and Danny.

"Aw, how cute, you put the drama masks next to his contact name."

"Wait, how did yo- You bitch!" You tackle Dylan to the ground, going to put him in a headlock when your phone started buzzing. You stopped your fighting with Dylan and looked to Cole. He slowly turned your phone around to see the caller ID. Charlie was calling.

You eyed Cole with the 'kill' look, as they like to call it before he winked at you and answered the phone.

"Hey, Charlie, right? Cole, nice to meet you. Sorry but Y/N can't come to the phone right now, she is too busy strangling her brothe-"

You jerk the phone out of his hand and flip him off as you run towards the back of the bus, entering the bathroom and locking the door behind yourself.

"Don't listen to him, he doesn't know what he is talking about." You say breathlessly.

"Really, cause it sounds like your out of breath?" His voice is so rich and deep that it causes a buzz running from your phone and into your brain, making you lightheaded. Oh, how you missed his voice.

You chuckle lightly. "Hey, Charlie." You say in the sweetest voice you could muster.

"Hi Y/N." You can hear the smile on his face.

"Sorry about not answering your text, Dylan had my phone and the boys were teasing me about you and one thing led to another."

"So what I'm hearing is your talking about me?"

"That's what you took away from that sentence?"

"Hopefully all good things?"

"Of course. So what's up?"

"Well, I was calling to see where you wanted to go for our date. I know it's in two weeks and your not even in the state, but I didn't know if you had any allergies or preferences and quite frankly, I just can't stop thinking about you."

The butterflies in your stomach went from tame to ballistic in about 0.2 seconds. You couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. You were excited to know that the person who was throwing you off of your axis, was also thrown off of theirs by your presence. It was just too trippy.

"Good thing you're not alone." You whispered, biting your lip. You were shy, super shy when it came to flirty environments. You didn't want to push the flirting but you also wanted him to know that you were purposefully doing it, wanting him to notice that you were putting in an effort. Flirting was hard, and you could never nail it.

"Really? I find that hard to believe considering how busy of a girl you are."

"It's hard to be busy when you've been stuck in traffic for four hours."

"You've been stuck in traffic for four hours?"

"Yep."

"That sucks."

"Oh, it _really_ sucks when you have to share 300 hundred square feet with four other guys who aren't you."

"Oh?"

You silently cursed yourself. _Really_? You thought. _You couldn't have thought of a better line? Curse your lack of social interaction with men._

"Yea?"

"Oh, no no no, don't just try to play it off, missy."

"Play what off?"

"Your so bad at flirting,"

_ Great, now you blew it. _

"But it's cute."

 _Nevermind_.

"Well thank you. You aren't so bad yourself, you know the whole being a cute thing..." You trail off.

"Oh god, please stop." He says, laughing at your obvious fail.

"Stop, at least I'm trying!" You say, chuckling at yourself along with him.

"It's okay, I'm not making fun of you. I am actually going to encourage this behavior because it's just too cute."

"Okay, okay, enough with the compliments." You looked at yourself in the mirror as you spoke. Your cheeks were beet red with lust and desire for the man on the phone. "To answer your earlier question, no I have no food allergies and I love Chinese food."

You hear faint scribbling and you can't help but blush more when you realize that the man was taking notes on you. Goddamn _notes_. He just couldn't get much more adorable.

"Noted,"

Before he could say anything else, a knock on the bathroom door pulled you from your _somewhat_ romantic conversation.

"Hey, Y/N, were here and Dylan told me to tell you to get off the phone with your boyfriend, we've got rehearsals to get to."

You scoff and stay silent.

"Please?" Braeden said, and you rolled your eyes at his dramatic change in voice.

You moved from the small sink to the door, opening it to see Braeden giving you the best puppy dog eyes he could muster.

"Fine boomer, I'll be out in a few minutes."

"You do understand that I am only 4 years older than you, so that doesn't exactly make me the boomer in this conversation."

"What conversation?"

"Well from what I heard, your little bff," he points to the phone as he mouths 'boyfriend', "Is _33_. That would make him the boomer." His voice turning into a whisper.

You swat at him and he immediately turns away and runs to the front of the bus. "You want to be next buddy-boy?!"

"No ma'am!" He yells back at you while he runs off of the bus to meet up with the others.

You turn your attention back to the phone call. "Sorry, but I have to go. We finally made it to the venue and we're already running behind."

"Okay, I'll talk to you later?"

"I would hope so. Bye, Charlie." You say smiling.

"Bye Y/N."

You hang up the phone and close your eyes. You are _the biggest idiot ever. No wonder nobody likes you._

You push your phone into your back pocket and head to the door of the bus. You step out of the stuffy rectangle and out onto the streets of Salem, New Jersey. You look at the boys, noticing that they are deep in conversation.

You march up to them, anger on display, and they immediately cease all conversation. You crinkle your eyebrow at the odd behavior. You just shake it off and turn your attention to Dylan. "I really should end you, right here, right now."

"Look, Y/N you know I meant no harm. They threatened me." He says, hands he's turning towards Cole and Braeden.

"What the hell man!?!" Cole shouted.

"Oh, you ass," Braeden stated.

The three of them got into an argument and you just shook your head, pinching the bridge of your nose. "Alright," They continued their petty bickering, "ALRIGHT STOP!" They all stopped at looked at you.

"Great, you've awoken Rambo," Braeden whispers to the guys, who are still frozen in their scared state.

You just stare at him harder, glaring into his soul as a blue hour overtakes all of their faces. "You," seething, you point to Dylan, "Had no right to tell them my business, threatened or not. You," moving your finger over the Braeden, "He isn't my boyfriend. Do I make myself clear?" Everyone shakes their head violently. "And you," you step closer to Cole who immediately recoils, "Next time, you won't get off so easy. Clear?"

"Crystal, Rambo."

You relax and roll your shoulders back. "Good, now we have a show to put on, so let's get busy."

You move around them, the group of boys still frozen from your outburst as you head to the Uhaul that follows behind the bus.

You see Danny and greet him, along with the bus driver, Paterson. He gives you a small nod as he pulls the door open and all of your equipment comes into view. You lean over to see Dylan, Cole, and Braeden still standing in their same spots, whispering amongst themselves.

"Hey, bitch biscuits! Get your asses down here and help us!" You yell at them and Danny chuckles along with Paterson.

They all start to walk towards you, hitting each other on the arms occasionally while they try to work out the details of their discussion earlier. You just huffed as you moved into the Uhaul, grabbing your clear snare drum. Paterson followed closely behind you, grabbing the bass drum as Danny started to grab keyboards.

After about an hour of unloading, you finally finished unloading all of the equipment. You tried your hardest to focus on setting your drums up and practicing songs for the show, but your mind continued to wander back to Charlie, his smell still on his sweater that you still had yet to take off. You probably wouldn't take it off, even for the show. 

You wondered about how he was doing, and how his kid would act. Is he adventurous? Would he let you meet Henry?  
  


 _Whoa, calm down. You've spoken to this guy a total of four times and you already want to meet his kid?_ You continue to play through your warmup set. _He would probably never let you meet his kid because he would be ashamed of you. Your a warn-out drummer for a band nobody knows, and you will probably be homeless or dead in a few years._ You stop playing completely. _Whoa._

Your mental health has never been great but it has been spiraling for the last few years, but you managed to hide it well. Your traumatic experiences took a mental toll on you, but to everyone else, you handled every situation with a certain grace. You never spoke about your feeling openly so everything just kind of built up and every two months you would just cry for hours. But that was about the extent you went to when it came to emotional self-care.

You continue to play through, letting your body go into autopilot as the muscle memory takes control. You wouldn't let your thought get to you on a personal level, especially with your bad past

__

**_-CHARLIE'S POV-_ **

After your night out with her, you could not stop thinking about her. Her hair and her touch and how delicate she was with your boundaries and how she accepted Henry. You had gone on plenty of dates, and all of them ended the same. You had made it a point to tell every woman that you were interested in about Henry, and they all ran away. But not her. She stayed. Not only did she stay, but she seemed to have a genuine interest in who Henry was. It would be quite a while until she would meet him and you were positive that Nicole would have something to say about your occupation, but that didn't matter. You were just so glad you had found someone that stayed and didn't judge. 

You were so interested in her, that you decided to take to the internet. Yes, it is a creepy thing to do, but he needed to find something else about her. Just before you pressed the search button, you decided against the idea of googling her. So, you opted to call her. 

You pressed her contact name on your phone, and it immediately started ringing. It rang twice before someone picked up. 

"Hey, Charlie, right? Cole, nice to meet you. Sorry but Y/N can't come to the phone right now, she is too busy strangling her brothe-" The stranger was cut off and then there was heavy breathing and rustling. Then you heard it. 

"Don't listen to him, he doesn't know what he is talking about." Her honey voice seemed to melt all your problems as you sit in the dark of your living room. 

"Really, cause it sounds like your out of breath?" You said, smiling to yourself as you wait for her response. 

"Hey, Charlie." Oh god. Your entire body seemed to buzz with her words. 

Smiling, you respond. "Hi Y/N."

The conversation went well, or at least you thought. A little teasing here, a little note-taking there. You didn't want to hang up, but she had to go and respect that. 

You placed your phone down on the couch and looked down at the chicken scratch that was the notes you took on her. 

_'I need more.'_ You thought. 

After thinking it over a few more times, you pick up the phone, click the safari icon, and type in her name. When you press the search button, websites writing about her band _Wallows_. 

You found tiny bits out about her, but you never dug deep to find some creepy facts about her. You found out what her favorite color was and what her favorite band was, and you decided that you would educate yourself before the big date. 

Just before you cut your phone off, you saw a link to her Instagram. You didn't really do social media, but you could see yourself doing it just this once. 

You downloaded the app and created the whole account and all. 

You eventually found her Instagram, but when you click on her username, your heart seems to burst at the latest image of her.

There she sat, on the edge of the stage with her brother, who held a guitar, with Cole and Braeden photobombing the picture in the back. You chuckled to yourself and you bring your eyes back to her laughing form. She sat there, looking radiant, in your _sweater_. Life just couldn't seem to get better. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave a kudos and subscribe to get a notification when a new chapter is posted. See you next time!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Chapters will be slow coming out, but I think this will be a great story! Love all my readers ❤️❤️❤️


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